Smoking
by Prime627
Summary: "Hey, Bee," the mech said. He was rough, looked worn and tired. "It's been a long time." How long had it been since Bumblebee saw him last? Centuries, maybe... "I'm sorry for popping in like this, but..." Bumblebee bared his denta. "I missed you, baby."
1. Chapter 1

Bumblebee didn't expect much in the morning. Maybe some fighting, maybe Strongarm's mechling toddling around after her and Sideswipe. Though they still mix like oil and water, they were tender around their sparkling and the mechling would up to be a good strong mech. Grimlock was settled beside him, and he turned his helm to lick his mate's cheek.

"Aww, hey, buddy..." Bumblebee wrapped an arm around his mate's neck and rested his forehelm on Grimlock's cheek. "How are you."

"I'm okay. Just how long are we gonna stay like this, watching our pedes to make sure we didn't step on Strongswipe?"

"A while yet, Grimlock. Sparklings, once they're out of their carrier, they take a little longer to grow up."

"Why don't we just push him back inside her?"

Bumblebee laughed at the image forming inside his helm and he shook it. "It doesn't work like that, Grimlock."

The black and green mech purred at his mate's laughter and he laid his helm in Bumblebee's lap. It looked like Bumblebee was finally settling down.

Bumblebee looked back up to watch Strongswipe. The little mechling was walking, his servos wrapped tightly around Sideswipe's. Strongarm stood several feet away, busy fixing the playpen she and Fixit found. When she heard her mechling's squeals she turned and laughed, kneeling to scoop him up. Then Sideswipe pulled Strongarm and Strongswipe close, pressing a kiss to each forehelm.

The sight hurt Bumblebee, scratching at his spark and making tears form in his eyes. He patted his mate's helm, seeing Grimlock was napping, and he laid the mech's massive helm on a pillow. Then he got up and wandered into the woods, pressing the heels of his servos into his optics to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks.

He missed Smokescreen, badly, even though the mech fell in love with racing and Bumblebee turned into a jealous lover. Smokescreen, he wanted to take Bumblebee with him to the new racing city, Burning Treads which was just outside of Vos and a lob from Kaon. Bumblebee refused. He didn't trust the bots in the city and he knew Smokescreen was turning into something...other than his mate. To keep Smokescreen with him, he took the job of being an officer. Smokescreen, rather than staying, took off and left Bumblebee alone in the middle of the night. No note, nothing. Just an open door letting the cold wind and the rain in. Bumblebee never saw Smokescreen again after that, and Optimus was already dead, and Ultra Magnus didn't know what to tell the grieving officer...

The tears came hot and fast, burning his optics and his cheek. He sobbed and he held himself, forcing a knuckle against his denta to keep the sobs to himself.

"Are you okay, sir?" Strongarm touched his shoulder. Strongswipe gurgled behind him.

"I'm fine...really. Just...missing some 'bots."

He turned to see her looking at him with soft optics. "You know, Nightshade picked up a strange signal she thinks will interest you."

"Decepticon?"

She shook her helm. "Autobot."

 **ooo**

Nightshade was pacing in the base, shaking her helm and growling. Bumblebee couldn't get her to settle down and tell him who it was until she gave him the coordinates and the request to _peel his paint with a potato peeler_.

The femme was now running beside Bumblebee, who was in alt-mode, as a purple and black Clydesdale mare. Her purple optics always stayed no matter what form she took unless she specificially changed them, but now they were practically on fire with rage. Steam burst from her nostrils every exhale and saliva dripped down her chest. She was, in a word Optimus wouldn't approve, pissed.

And then Bumblebee saw why. There was a pod, the Autobot insignia carved into it, in the middle of the desert. He transformed and she dropped the 'guise. She was panting, her optics dark with rage, but she wasn't drooling like the Clydesdale had been. She was growling instead.

Bumblebee wondered if he would start growling too, but he was in too much shock.

"Hey, Bee," the mech said.

He was rough, looked worn and tired, like he had been under a couch for years.

"It's been a long time."

How long had it been since Bumblebee saw him last? More than a long time. Centuries, maybe...

"I'm sorry for popping in like this, but..."

Bumblebee bared his denta.

"I missed you, baby."

He growled then and Nightshade snarled.

"I can tell the feeling isn't mutual," Smokescreen said, backing up with his servos up.

"No, it isn't," they both growled.

 **I started this before, and I wasn't getting anywhere, but Creepy-Pasta jumped in and fueled that fire again, so now I'm ready X3 This comes after Oops, where Strongarm has a baby boy with Sideswipe and Nightshade joins the party of bots. Hope you guys are ready for some angry Dinobots, furious Bumblebees and a pissed-off-all-the-time Nightshade.**


	2. Chapter 2

Bumblebee reluctantly led Smokescreen back to the junkyard, trying to ignore Nightshade's angry protests and frequent cursing that would make a Wrecker flinch.

"Shoulda slagged him with a fragging shovel and left him to fragging rust. Do you know how slagging long it took for you to get over this slag-eater? Eight-slag-fragging-centuries!"

"Shut up, Nightshade."

She didn't get the hint. She still growled and shifted, her wings trembling in rage. She glared at Smokescreen, who gave her a smile.

"Still a pissed off femme, huh? I told you a nice frag would even you out."

She snarled and pushed her claws against her cheek. "I can let Nightstrike get his claws on you. That would be entertaining...what are you afraid of, spark-eater?"

"That's enough, Nightshade. Back off."

Smokescreen smirked as the femme obeyed. "So, she's like your pet."

Bumblebee whirled on him the same instant Strongarm and Sideswipe went to greet the new arrival. Before anyone could process, Bumblebee backhanded the mech. Smokescreen staggered and touched his split lip.

"I can let Nightshade kill you. She'd do it, you know? She'd take a special enjoyment in making you squirm, making you cry out for mercy..."

Smokescreen smiled down at him. "You've changed."

"And you're still an exhaust-port." Bumblebee shoved his chest and walked away.

Strongarm had wide optics, watching him leave, then she looked at Nightshade, who looked like she was in pain. She passed her mechling to Sideswipe, then she ran after Bumblebee. "Sir!"

"Leave me alone for a bit, Strongarm. I need time to think."

"What happened, Bumblebee? Why did he deserve to get slapped?"

Bumblebee kicked a bucket of screws over, fuming. "He left me, in the middle of the night. We were mates, planning on getting bonded the next day and starting a family after that. But he left and went where I told him not to go. Nightshade and her insane sister kept me rom losing my own sanity, but...I didn't stop longing for Smokescreen for centuries. And now he's here again, acting like nothing's wrong."

Strongarm touched his arm. "I don't think he deserved the slap. Leaving you must have hurt him."

"Then he should have come back." Bumblebee pushed her away. "I'm sorry, but I need time to myself. Go help Nightshade blow something up. Death and destruction is good for her."

Strongarm nodded, but he knew she wouldn't help Nightshade build a grenade or a bomb to blow it up in a ravine or a canyon. She had a family and she was against breaking Cybertronian rules, even though they were on Earth. She left Bumblebee to relax, and he did. Slowly.

 **ooo**

Nightshade tensed up when Smokescreen moved closer to her. She bared her denta in a warning. "You left a smoking trail out of Bumblebee's life. Why don't you wait until the tracks are cool before you waltz back in?"

"Smoking," Smokescreen said with an amused voice. He flashed perfect white denta at her, raising an optic ridge. "Interesting choice of words."

She smirked. "I'm an interesting femme with a few choice words for you. Back the frag off and bend over for Knock Out. He was in Burning Treads, wasn't he?"

"You have a mouth on you," Smokescreen said. "Did your carrier let you talk like that?"

"Nope. She stopped being my carrier when I was young."

"And then you killed her," he said. He smirked at her darkened optics. "I know the stories."

"But do you know the truth?" She smirked at his discomfort as she unsheated an Energon-crusted dagger. He tripped and laid sprawled out in the dirt on his back. She ran the sharp edge along his cheek. A fine layer of paint came off. "Mm...good thing Starsong isn't here. I wouldn't be able to torture Destiny's Child like this if she was."

"Bee wouldn't let you hurt me." Smokescreen's voice betrayed only a small amount of fear, but his frame was rattling. Nightshade grinned. She was still scary.

"Oh, you just keep thinking that." She pushed a little harder on the dagger and Energon ran down his cheek. She threw the dagger down beside his helm. The metal hummed against his audio.

"You're a crazy glitch."

She smiled and straddled his hips, pulling the dagger free. "No. I'm just a glitch." She walked off, wiping the blade clean. "Fixit! I need more of that paper!"

The minicon dropped it off, looking at Smokescreen in concern. The mech was sitting up, pressing a servo to his cheek.

Nightshade waved him off, not looking up from the model of the _Nemesis_ she was making out of newspaper and glue. "He's fine. Just had a little accident."

Fixit quickly retreated in fear that he would be the next one to experience said "accident". Smokescreen glared at Nightshade's back.

"Optimus liked you, a lot. I don't know why. And Starscream, he loved you for a bit, long enough to make you carry a trine of Seekerlings. They must be stupider than I thought."

She didn't turn her helm. She continued making the _Nemesis_. "I remember a time," she sang. "When a little Destiny's Child was so eager to get under said Prime."

Smokescreen's faceplates were on fire. "That was a long time ago."

"And it was a long time ago when at one point, I did think I was in love with Starscream. We all make mistakes, Child." She turned and threw something at him. He caught it. "We all are worthy of forgiveness."

It was a model of Bumblebee, completed, and very detailed. "How did you learn to make these?"

"Megatron taught me a few tricks," she whispered. For a minute, there was sadness, but then it was gone and she was peeved again. "Now get out of here. You're bothering me. Keep that model. It's crowding my desk. I need workspace." She waved him out, roughly pushing him when he moved too slow. "And _stay away from Bumblebee_ , slag-eater!"


	3. Chapter 3

Nightshade held Strongswipe in her lap while Strongarm and Sideswipe went out to lounge in the woods. Grimlock was keeping Bumblebee closer than he had for months. They hadn't officially been together in the berth, so Bumblebee still smelled like Bumblebee and Grimlock smelled like a Dinobot.

Smokescreen flopped down beside her. "Cute kid."

"It's Strongarm's."

"Yeah, I couldn't tell." He leaned over to touch the sparkling, but Nightshade moved several feet over. She hit a washer and that caused a loud clanging noise that attracted Grimlock's attention.

"You should tell him to back off," Grimlock growled.

Bumblebee sighed and he looked away, hugging his mate as he climbed up slowly onto his mate's shoulders to lay. The Dinobot let him, wagging his tail slightly as he moved to get comfortable under the mech. "Just get me out of here, Grim... I can't be around him anymore."

They started to walk off, but Smokescreen walked after them, no matter how fast Grimlock ran.

"Leave me alone, Smokescreen!"

"You have to listen to me, Bumblebee!"

"I don't want to listen!" He pressed his face into Grimlock's neck and cried softly.

Grimlock snarled and he turned, roaring in anger at the mech. He shoved the newcomer into the river beside them, then ran off to the little fort Bumblebee built during a rainstorm. He dropped his mate inside and climbed in after him. "What happened between you two?"

Bumblebee shook his helm, whining softly. "A lot of bad things... I mean, there were some good things, but most of it was bad."

The green and black mech nuzzled him gently. "That's why you don't want to...?"

Bumblebee nodded. "I'm afraid you'll be like him," he whimpered.

"I'm not Smokescreen," Grimlock said and he transformed into his bipedal form to kiss his mate. Bumblebee kissed back and he nearly gave himself up, very nearly...but he pulled back.

"I know you're not. I just need time, Grim, okay?"

Grimlock nodded and he watches his mate. Then he curled up, holding him close. "I'm here and Smokescreen isn't."

"But he still loves me."

"Do you love him?"

"Not really, Grim," Bumblebee lied. He did really love Smokescreen, and now he was back! He momentarily regretted getting with Grimlock, but... His spark ached and he buried his face into the mech's plating. "I love you, Grimlock."

The Dinobot stroked his helm and held the mech while he slept.

 **ooo**

Nightshade watched Smokescreen rock back and forth, hugging the Bumblebee model to his chest. He looked...depressed. And she didn't even cause it. "Get up," she growled.

"I love him so much."

"If you loved him, you shouldn't have run off to Burning Treads to play fragtoy to Knock Out."

"It was a _mistake_! When he turned officer, I knew I'd never see my Bumblebee anymore...so I ran away."

She growled and pushed him out of the junkyard. "I'm so sick of mechs sobbing. Go out and find him in the forest. Good luck getting by Grimlock."

He looked back at her, pushing the tears out of his optics as he nodded. "I'll just stay out there and never come out!"

"Yeah, okay. I'd love to see that happen. Do you need me to pack you a sack lunch and a blankie?"

Smokescreen needed to work better on his bluffing. But he _did_ run out into the forest.

 **ooo**

Bumblebee woke up to the sound of singing.

 _I'm coming home_

 _I'm coming home_

 _Tell the world I'm coming home_

 _Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday_

 _I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes_

 _I'm coming home, I'm coming home_

 _Tell the world that I'm coming..._

It was a nice Earth song. Optimus had sung it once back when Team Prime was restless and anxious. He'd tell them about Cybertron, about what it was like, because he had a more vivid memory of it than anyone else on the team. And then he would sing, rocking Bumblebee and maybe Arcee if they were especially restless.

He ran out of the fort, hoping to see Optimus, but instead he saw Smokescreen, singing with his optics closed while tears rolled down his cheeks. He lowered his helm and sobbed into his palms. "Optimus, where are you when I need you? Huh?"

Bumblebee couldn't hide the smirk. Optimus barely came to him, why would he come to Smo-

And then there was Optimus, kneeling in front of Smokescreen. "Shh, shh, shh..." The Prime smiled and pulled him into an embrace. "Easy now. Everything will work out, you will see...shhh, child..."

Bumblebee stared and he whined, wanting to run and hug Optimus as well, but he held back.

"You must know, Smokescreen, that he is with Grimlock now. You do not want to break two sparks, do you?"

"No, I just want him back..."

Optimus smiled down at him, petting his helm. "You will be okay. Rest now."

And then Optimus was gone and Smokescreen fell limp into the leaves.

Bumblebee left him to cuddle up with Grimlock when it began to rain.

Nightshade carried Smokescreen back. When Smokescreen opened his optics, he was confused. He saw Nightshade, her optics watching his face in a tender way. She laid him on her mattress and covered him in a thick quilt. Then she was gone and Smokescreen was back to sleeping, dreaming of Bumblebee.

 **I don't own the song**


	4. Chapter 4

Bumblebee walked to Nightshade's little MedBay, seeing her perfect the model of the _Nemesis_. "Nightshade?"

"If you're going to start crying, let me model a box of tissues," she greeted, which meant he was welcome. If she didn't want him there, she would have turned around and pressed a cannon to his helm.

"I just wanted to ask a few questions," he said softly, sitting down on her chair. She grunted, but her wings lowered in sadness. "You know what I'm going to ask?"

"Lovely," she sighed. She set down the model and hopped up onto her desk. "It's written all over your face."

"Tell me about Nemesis and Starscream."

"Do you know how many times you've heard that story?" She set the model on a shelf and looked at him, resting her helm in an open palm. "Nemesis was my assigned mate, but I didn't love him and he didn't love me. I cried a lot, and Starscream swept me off my pedes. The rest is a tragedy I probably deserved. Cheating on my mech...Primus has a cruel sense of humor for femmes like me."

Bumblebee shook his helm, sighing. "What do _I_ do?"

"You stay with Grimlock. Or you can run off with Smokescreen."

"You're very helpful."

"I'm not the caretaker. Starsong is. I'm here to kick tailpipe into shape, not blow somebody's nose." She hopped down and pushed Bumblebee out of her MedBay. "Now go snuggle up to someone else!"

Strongswipe stumbled up to Nightshade and she immediately went soft, scooping the little sparkling up and holding him while she worked. But her wings were still down.

Strongarm watched her son, stopping Bumblebee. "Do you think she tells stories?"

Strongarm, Bumblebee recalled, loved stories, no matter who about or what about, so long as they were stories that interested her.

"Probably. She's old. Has a lot of experience."

"She doesn't look old."

"Oh, but she curses like she's old," Bumblebee said with a small laugh. He turned back to Nightshade. "Hey, Nightshade! Stories around the fire?"

She smiled at him, playing nice, but her optics were dark and blazing with rage. She hated being put on the spot.

But, when Grimlock got the fire going in the main camp area and Smokescreen set out mats for everyone (he even sat as far away as he could from Grimlock and Bumblebee), Nightshade came out of her MedBay and settled closest to the fire.

"Well, now that you've twisted my wing out of my MedBay, what do you want to know about?"

When no one answered, Smokescreen jumped in. "Do you know what happened to everyone after Team Prime split up?"

She snorted and rolled her optics. "Of course I do. Magnus went out to train Cybertron's Protectors, the new Wreckers. Wheeljack and Bulkhead went into construction. Arcee settled down and got over her fear of losing another mate. I think she has three or so sparklings now. Optimus joined the Core, visits my sister sometimes. Knock Out went back to being Knock Out, and as I remember, Smokescreen followed in his pedesteps. And that guy," she pointed at Bumblebee, "he became an officer. Primus knows why."

Grimlock nuzzled his mate, smiling. Sideswipe laughed and he looked at Nightshade. "Ohh, what about Predaking?"

"Oh, that lizard?" She scratched under her chin. "He retired from duty, whatever _that_ meant. I think we buried him under Onyx Prime's statue. Skylynx and Darksteel were devastated, but they got over it. They're hobbling around Cybertron, unless one of them joined the Core. Predacons do not age well. They're wings stop working, they limp around, their necks decide they want to drag on the ground so it's like..." She got up and started demonstrating, one arm crooked and stiff while the other was limp. She turned so her spinal strut was bent at an odd, but comfortable angle and she let her helm roll as she walked around the circle, earning laughter from everyone. She plopped back down on her seat, emotionless. "It's sad."

"What about Starscream?"

"That brat? Pfft. Primus. I think Predaking ate him or something. I haven't seen him for a long time." She stretched out, not looking bothered, but her wings were down, the tips scraping in the dirt, and her optics were dulling.

Strongarm purred down at her sparkling. "I heard you had a Seeker trine..."

"Yeah, Deadshot, Firefall, and Sonicsound. Brats, the lot of them, just like their sire. Bratiness is genetic, and you'll see it in Strongarm. I swear to Primus, Starscream and Knock Out are his creators. I don't care that you crawled out of the Well, Starscream sired you, I guarantee it."

More laughter. The team was loosening up and Bumblebee was relaxing as well. The problem with Smokescreen was slowly disappearing, or atleast being pushed to the back corner of his processor.

"Tell us about Megatron," Grimlock said and Nightshade smiled.

"Ahh, my adopted sire." She scratched under her chin again, showing she was thinking. "He was fine for a while, all upgraded and looking spiffy. But then he got sick. The Dark Energon, it gives, but then it takes. And it took Megatron to his knees. He was so sick and just...it was a sad thing to watch. I kept him in my base while Starsong cried over Optimus. I kept trying my best to keep Megatron alive, but every day he'd smile a little bit more and tell me that he wouldn't be a bother soon." She shrugged, her wings truly limp. "He was a cruel mech at first, but I miss him...so much."

Bumblebee lowered his helm. He had known Megatron had gotten sick, but he didn't know he had died. He sighed.

"But he's okay now. He looks better than before. Starsong said she saw him in her Spirit Realm."

"What even is that?"

Nightshade looked at Sideswipe. "My sister, she's a little loopy, but she's actually really smart. She can see spirits in mirrors, in glass orbs. She only has one now, because she went bonkers and destroyed them all when she saw Optimus. She can call spirits, talk to them, even bring some of them to life."

The team's optics widened.

Bumblebee sat up straight. "So she could bring Optimus back!"

"No, the Primes are keeping him in their Realm. She can't bring those back who refuse, are being held back, or have nothing to return to." She yawned and stretched, getting up. "Well, those weren't really stories, that was just me explaining...but I'm tired, like I did tell a thousand stories."

Bumblebee nodded and he got up. He helped Smokescreen put the mats away. While they were in the closet-type area where they kept blankets, and pillows, and mats, Smokescreen grabbed Bumblebee's face and kissed him.

"I still love you, Bumblebee."

"Smokescreen, get off of me," Bumblebee growled. He knew Grimlock wasn't too far away.

"Don't you love me back?" Smokescreen grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

"Smokescreen, let _go_ of me!"

Grimlock pulled Smokescreen out of the closet and he threw the mech down, escorting Bumblebee back to their mattress. "I told you..."

Bumblebee clung to his mate, pressing his face into his shoulder. "Please, Grim...don't..."

Grimlock sighed and he laid Bumblebee down, laying beside him.

Smokescreen watched, trembling in anger. "That stupid Dinobot..."

Nightshade flicked his helm with a crowbar, tapping it in an open palm as she stood beside him. "He's in love with the mech you left behind. Maybe you should stop chasing someone who's involved and-"

"And tear them apart! Thank you, Nightshade!"

"-and look to someone who's single..." She sighed and dropped the crowbar. "Primus. How stupid _is_ he?"


	5. Chapter 5

Nightshade leaned back, having tied the model of the _Nemesis_ up so it looked like it was hovering from the roof of her MedBay, which was nearly done and no longer looked like a pathetic tent. Now it looked like a pathetic room. She scoffed, hearing Bumblebee behind her. "Honestly..."

"How do I get Smokescreen to stop coming after me?"

"Well, he's not that bright. You might as well tell him straight out you hate his guts." She fiddled with the newspaper. Should she model the _Ark_ next?

"Grimlock just bit him."

"Well, then. He's stupider than he looks. Is he okay?"

"I think his wrist is broken."

Nightshade smiled at him. "Broken?"

"You didn't hear him screaming in pain?"

"No. Should I be concerned?"

Bumblebee gaped at her. "Aren't you a medic?"

She shrugged and followed Bumblebee as he led her back to the growling and muttering Smokescreen as he held his wrist.

"Can you kill the Dinobot? Just put it to sleep?" He glared at Bumblebee as if it was the yellow mech's fault he was bitten.

"Hun, I've been asking that about you for the past century now," Nightshade said as she knelt. "Well, lucky for you it's not broken, just a little...chewed up." She wiped the wrist clean, then wrapped it. "But I clear you from duty while it heals. And I banish you to my MedBay. Also, you have to stay six feet away from Grimlock."

"Agreed," Bumblebee said. "By order of the Cybertronian Police Department."

"Which translates to: Leave the happy couple alone, sir." Nightshade patted his helm. "But you'll understand no one likes you pretty quickly, especially when the only face you'll see for a while is my gorgeous one." She said it sarcastically, but in Bumbleee's opinion, she was rather beautiful, even with the scars.

Smokescreen groaned and walked back to her MedBay, sitting down on a medberth. "I thought you told me to go after Bee," he accused.

"No, I _tried_ to say that you should go after a _single_ bot, of which there are none. Too bad, so sad."

"Aren't you single?" Smokescreen frowned as she started to model something else, but she tightened her grip on the balloon she was using to help make the shape and it burst in her servos.

" _No_ ," she hissed, blowing up another balloon in one exhale. She was peeved now. She tied the end and started smearing glue on it, tacking the paper on one end and leaving it to dry. She started doing the same to another balloon.

"I could have sworn you were," he said.

"Well, I'm not, so..." Her wings fluttered, but not in anger. She was sad, and they slowly flattened against her back. She set the balloon next to the first and pressed the heel of her servo to her forehelm, taking a deep breath. "I'm waiting for Starscream."

Smokescreen burst into hysterical laughter, ducking as a crowbar flew his way. "He's _dead_."

"You don't know. Starscream's a crazy glitch and loves living too much..." She held herself, then growled lowly. "If you're going to laugh, I'll disable your vocalizer."

"Do it. I dare you."

Which is how he would up mute for the next several hours before Bumblebee went to check on him.

"I never thought I'd hear a quiet Smokescreen."

The mech opened his mouth and a burst of static came out instead of angry cursing.

"I kinda like him this way. Not annoying, quiet as a mouse..." She looked over at Bumblebee. "What can I do for you?" She was working on the models she began when Smokescreen first arrived. She popped the balloons and started crafting ships.

"Grimlock wants to start a family. Can I carry what he wants?"

Nightshade turned and looked him over. "You should be fine."

"Ratchet would test my spark."

"Yeah? Well, the only way to do that would be to actually spark you, and I don't think I want to." She teased him, tossing him a datapad. "Do it Ratchet's way, but it will say you're stressed out and won't be able to produce."

She was right. Frag her. Bumblebee set the datapad down. "So...I can carry sparklings?"

"If you're super careful and _as soon as you even think you're carrying_ , you come _directly_ here for some lounging, refueling, and boredom. Stress yourself too much and your body will abort the sparkling."

Bumblebee smiled and hugged her. "Thank you!"

When the mech left, Nightshade looked back. Smokescreen was unusually quiet, even with his vocalizer turned off.

And she quickly found out why.

Smokescreen was curled on his belly, sobbing into his pillow. His doorwings sook sadly and then flopped over onto his back. He raised his helm and looked at Nightshade with tear-filled optics, then sniffled and turned his back to her.

Nightshade felt a stab of guilt, then went about crafting her ships, hoping that would distract her.

It didn't.


	6. Chapter 6

Bumblebee, was in fact, sparked. Nightshade had him sleeping six hour intervals peppered with fifteen-minute breaks to refuel and walk around for a bit before she pushed him back down onto the medberth. Grimlock was never far from him.

Smokescreen, however, had been moved to the back of the MedBay (five feet, nine-point-ninety-nine inches away) while his wrist healed. He would glare at the family, then roll over and glare at the wall. His vocalizer was still disabled. He never cued Nightshade for her to enable it and she never asked.

Within days, Cybertron, stars, moons, and ship models were dangling from fishing line around the MedBay. She was working on the planet's sun when Strongswipe ran up to her and gripped her legs. She looked down.

"I help?" He jumped up and down. His helm was at her knees. By tomorrow, he would be mid-thigh, and the next day, up to her hip...

"Sure," she said. She knelt and showed him the model of the sun she was papering. "Don't worry about breaking it. I have a spare I'll work on."

Strongswipe tried his best to work on the sun, but he added too much glue, too little paper, and it became a sticky, inky mess. He was called by his carrier, but Nightshade nabbed him and wiped him down with hot water and a rag before she let the sparkling run off. She watched the sparkling, feeling a stab of jealousy, but it was quickly gone when she saw his attempt on the sun. She scrapped her version and she poked his sun with a stick into the sunlight to dry. Then she checked on Bumblebee.

She drew his chestplates back, spotting the twins. One was definitly a Dinobot, the other was definitely not. The Dinobot was squirming and whimpering, still connected to his carrier's spark, but wanting to be _free_. She looked at the other one, which was stiller and quieter. She was concerned for that one. A Dinobot took a lot of care and a lot of energy. Would the little bot survive with its sibling? She shook all doubt away, waved to the little sparklings even though they couldn't see her clearly just yet, and she closed Bumblebee's chestplates.

Strongarm was standing in the doorway. "Is Strongswipe bothering you?" She nodded at the ball of paper and glue.

She shook her helm, bending down to touch the sides. It was still sticky and inky. She washed her servos. "Not at all. It's the mechs in here that are bothering me, not the little one." She tickled Strongswipe's chin, purring when he squealed.

"You are good with sparklings...do you mind babysitting him again?"

Nightshade took the sparkling, stroking his helm while she paced the MedBay with him, telling him about each model. He especially loved the _Ark_ and Moon Base Two. He helped her paint the model of the sun and helped her string it up, and then let her lay him down to sleep. She whined, pained. She wanted her Seekerlings back, but they...no longer needed her. She wanted to wail, but she kept silent.

To keep her busy, she checked on everyone, woke Bumblebee forty-five minutes early to stretch and walk around, and then turned her back to them while she rubbed her arm. "Walk around a bit and see how you feel..."

Bumblebee touched her back as he walked by. "You really could use a mate," he whispered.

She scoffed. "No one here can put up with me. Now go walk around before I change my mind and chain you to that berth."

"Where are Strongarm and Sideswipe?"

"Went for a drive. Fixit is keeping tabs on them in case any of my faction decides they want to take out two well-trained Autobots."

"I wouldn't say _well-trained_ ," Bumblebee said.

"I would if I wanted the Decepticons to think twice," she pointed out. Then she pushed him out of the MedBay, Grimlock quickly following behind him. "Now walk around. Stretch a bit."

She looked back at Smokescreen, poking him awake. "Hey." She turned on his vocalizer.

"Leave me alone," he growled.

Her temper flared. "Look, I'm sorry your stupid dream of Bumblebee running back into your arms after several centuries didn't work out. Boo hoo, woe is you. Get over it. Nothing goes right for you, Destiny's Child, we get that."

"Don't call me that."

She either didn't notice he was getting angry or she didn't notice. She continued to rant until Smokescreen got up and shoved her down onto the other medberth, her wings fanned out under her. While he was furious, he didn't want to cause her damage.

"Shut up. No wonder Starscream left you. You probably nagged about _everything_. Didn't you?"

She snapped her mouth shut, growling while her optics dimmed and she looked away, feigning defeat. "I did not..."

"Don't tell me. You were the perfect femme."

"I tried to be, but he was quickly uninterested in being mine and ran off to be with Megatron!" She kicked him off and whined, slipping off the berth to build something to keep her from destroying things. She had a nasty habit for doing that, destroying what really matters to her.

Smokescreen stared at her for a long time before he sighed. "Nightshade, I'm sorry...okay?"

She said nothing.

He growled and threw the crowbar at her to get her attention. She caught it and laid it down.

"I heard you," she whispered. "I'm choosing to ignore."

"Ahh! How did Optimus _stand_ you?"

She flinched, then went still. Her wings lowered and for a moment Smokescreen felt guilty, but he shoved that away and stormed right by her, looking for Bumblebee.

She didn't stop him.

Smokescreen found Bumblebee sunning himself while Grimlock walked around him, as if guarding him. Smokescreen watched from a distance, then approached.

Grimlock growled, but he didn't get the idea. Grimlock charged him, but he kept coming. Grimlock's jaws snapped shut around Smokescreen's neck and everything went dark.

 **ooo**

When he woke up, machines were beeping and Nightshade was curled up in the seat by his helm, her knees hugged to her chest and her forehelm resting on them. She sighed once and twitched, and then she raised her helm and glared at him. "You could have died. Bumblebee isn't yours anymore. He's Grimlock's."

She got up and left. Smokescreen found himself in the tent that was the model of the MedBay. From the sound of the birds chirping, he was in the middle of the woods, next to a river. He was so far away from the junkyard. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he found he couldn't speak again. He silently howled and slowly curled into the tightest ball the machines would allow.

Nightshade walked slowly back to the junkyard, glancing back at where she came.

Optimus stood guard at the tent, listening to Smokescreen and to the machines, shaking his helm slightly, so slightly if anyone were watching, they probably would have missed it. And then he spoke softly.

 _Time heals all wounds._

 **Honestly, what now? XD I got here and I'm like, I could end it. I could just end it like this. But there'll be people that want to know about the sparklings, what happens to them, what happens with Smokescreen and Bumblebee...so I'll do an Epilogue!**


	7. Chapter 7

Nightshade knew she was being followed. Somehow she had, practically over night, gone from the weird femme that delivered three sparklings to an honorary aunt the sparklings wanted to chase down and tackle every chance they got. So now, she was walking around with a wooden spoon and the lid to a trash can. She loved the attention, really, but she had enough of it sometimes.

And that was when Grimbee latched onto her leg. "Found you!" the hysterical femme squealed. She had, obviously, somehow been dropped on her helm, repeatedly. Her sire was no gentle mech, so she wasn't surprised.

Nightshade bared her denta and poked the green-and-yellow-striped black femme off her with the spoon, the the sparkling clung to that instead! She shook it, hard, but she had gained her sire's strength. She whined as the sparkling crawled down the spoon and latched onto her servo. "I love you!"

The shouting attracted Strongswipe and Jaggedtooth, Grimlock's sun that was _exactly like him_. Primus has a huge sense of humor.

"There she is!"

"Hiding from us, Aunty Night?" Strongswipe pounced on her and tickled her sides. He was bigger than the tiny three-day-olds, but that was alright. He was gentle, even though his sire was Sideswipe of all mechs.

Bumblebee found Nightshade squirming under the three sparklings. He pulled Grimbee off first, then Jaggedtooth. "Sorry, Nightshade. You know they love you."

She growled and held out Strongswipe by his pede. "Yeah, I gathered that." She dropped him in Bumblebee's arms, looking fondly down at them. "I love them too."

"I bet it's as close as you're going to get to a Seeker trine, huh?" He elbowed her, chuckling as he held the sparklings. "You _can_ try again. There's a mech that looks like Starscream. His name is-"

"Fracture?" She raised an optic ridge at him when the yellow mech nodded. "Mm..."

"I bet you can convince him we're not evil," he purred.

"Oh, I'll just borrow your sparklings and make him surrender. Grimbee has the power of scaring _anyone_ into being an Autobot." She shuddered, her wings trembling in fear as if she had let a spider crawl up her arm and down her back without moving.

"You are not using my daughter as bait! Or a weapon of mass destruction!" Bumblebee's own doorwings fluttered in mock irritation.

She feigned confusion. "Isn't that the only reason for sparklings? Mass destruction? Because, you should see my MedBay..."

Bumblebee pushed her towards her MedBay, chuckling. "You are ridiculous. Have you finished that mobile I asked for?"

"Nearly. You wanted Optimus, right?"

"And Megatron. Have you added Cybertron?"

"I was just letting that sit out to dry..." She tapped her chin, waving his list at him. "But why would you want _me_ on the mobile?"

He shrugged. "You're their honorary aunt. I thought you should be on it."

She nodded. "Fair enough. I'll hang it above your mattress when I'm done with it tonight."

Sure enough, when Bumblebee went to lay his sparklings down to sleep for the night, there was the mobile. Megatron and Optimus spun in a lazy circle as the mobile spun, and Cybertron hung in the middle, but where he requested Nightshade, there was an empty string. He sighed and went to look for Nightshade.

He found the Nightshade model on her desk in the MedBay, and he went to lift it. He sighed as he saw Nightshade laying on the medberth. He carried the model over, peeking down at her faceplates. She was asleep, clutching a model of a Seeker to her chest.

"Thanks," he whispered and he tied Nightshade to the mobile.

Grimlock blew on it, making it spin as he held his sparklings close. Bumblebee laid down and watched the bots spin before he fell asleep, Grimbee snoring softly on his chest.

While Grimlock settled down with his son, Optimus appeared beside the mobile and he gave it a soft spin, chuckling as he touched the model of Megatron before he disappeared, sensing the arrival of some other bot.

Smokescreen sighed when he saw Bumblebee asleep. He sat down and watched his former mate, reaching out to touch his helm before he dropped his servo and stood, shaking his helm. "No more, I promise...I won't...anymore..." He looked at the mobile, spun it again, and he left.

Nightshade watched him, then dropped her gaze as she padded out into the moonlight and into his way. "Soon, it won't hurt."

"It will never stop hurting."

"Time heals all wounds," she said. She flashed a feigned smile, then walked back into her MedBay. She laid down with the Seeker model, stared at it for a moment, before she dropped it and curled up around a pillow.


End file.
